Lamp-socket.



C. D.- MEEKBR.

LAMP SOCKET.

APPLIOATION FILED rm. 2, 190a.

1"Q67 482. v Patented July 15, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witt 116003: WM ammo, 14x07,

C. D. MEEKER.

LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED 31:13.3, 19 09.

': Patented July 15, 1913.

2 SHEETS-BEBE! 2.

I 1min 000, 9

"UNITED STAEES PATENT orirron...

CLIFFORD D. MEEKER';- OF EAST- ORAN-GE, NEW JERSEY;

I'IAMP SOGKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed'Feliriiary'B, 1909; Serial Nb."1 75,892.

To all whom it may concern s Be it known that I, CLIFFORD D. MEEK E-R, acitizen-of ,the' United States, and residing at East Orange, in thecounty of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Lamp-Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

The; invention relates to' controllingdevices-,for electrical circuitsand in certain of its features more especially to lamp sockets, but insome of its features theinventi'on is useful in other relations as well.

' Objects of the invention are to provide a controlling mechanism ofsimple and inexpensive construction, which is likewise substantial,reliable and which is also easll assembled; to provide a make and a breafor' each branch of the circuit, that is, both terminals of the lamp orother load, as well as the lamp itself, is dead when the current is off;to provide a large clearance between the conducting parts when thecircuit is broken so as to be able to carry high wattage on a controllerof relatively small size; to provide a socket having a double pole anddouble break; that is a double break in each branch of the circuit; toprovide for efiecting the make and break by the samemovement of theactuating mechanism and in the same direction; to provide a mechanism inwhich none of the actuating parts for the current controller are aliveor current hearing at any time. These and other advantages and objectsof the inventionwill'be disclosed elsewhere herein or' will be obviousto those skilled in the art. Of the drawings: tially central verticalsection of the shell of an electrical lamp socket, with the containedmechanism in elevation embodyingthc principles of the invention; Fig. 2is an elevation looking to the left at Fig. 1', showing.

the supporting structure and portions of the containedmeehanism andshowing also the outer shellin central-section; Fig. 3 is a full topplan ofFig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section substantially, on the line AB- ofFig. 1, but

sliowingthe full circumference; Fig. 5 is aseCtiOn-Onthe line CD ofFig.1; Fig. 6'. is a fiillelevation corresponding. to Fig. 2'; Fig.- 7 a;perspectivevlew ofthe support on a larger scale; Fig. 8 is an enlargedde- Figure'l is a substan-- tail of the actuating. mechanism; Fig.9 isadetail of the circuit controlling, devices-z; Fig. 10 is a partial topplan-viewreferred' to Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a view onthe line.E+-F" 9 butshowing the full circumference;-

and ig. 12 is a bottom perspective view ofa part of the currentcontrolling devices.

Fig. 13 is a. detail showing. the actuating parts separated.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,- illustrating 'by- Way ofexampleone embodir ment ofthe invention, 1 indicates acontact: arranged forconnection'with one branch of the line circuit, while 2"indicates.acontact arranged for connection with the other branch of the linecircuit. Suitable mean'sfor connecting. these to the line circuit are Iprovided, and the form thereof-i herein 7 FatentedJuW-lE, 1913 showncomprises binding screws '3 and?! threaded into the said' contacts,respectively. The said contacts-are supported: asuitalole manner, as byscrews 5 and 6,-respectivelfy, which engage also the supportingstructure.- Asuitable pair of contacts 7' and-8 is also provided,connected to the two terminals, respectively, of the 'lamp or otherload.- In

the present embodiment they are-shown arranged for connection tothe twoterminals of anordinary incandescent l lamp wherein contact is made withone tQHI-llflttl; through the threaded portion 9 of the shell andthe-other contact is made centrally oi the lamp shank. In thepresentgemhodiment the contact 8 isconnected torthe flator.

angled portion ofthe threadedsheil 91-h means of" the screw 10.The-"contact Tia shown in Fig. 1- held to position by .a screw 11, andhaving a portion .12: extending.

ing shaft orcolumn 13, the end-,ofi said shaft or columnbeing shown inposition tomake contact with the centraldarnp-terminall. In

around and in connection with thesupppnt direction. One actuation willserve to make the circuit in both branches and the succeeding one tobreak it in both branches. In the illustrated example the contacts 17and 18' are located a semi-circumference apart, and the actuating meansis arranged to give a quarter turn to the member 16 at each actuation.Fixed to the member 16 is shown a four-faced detent piece 21, andbearing thereon a detent spring 22. As shown here-' in, the detent piecetakes over a squared part.38 of the projecting portion or column of themember 16. There is also shown a loose pulley 23 andconnected thereto acord 44. The pulley is shown mounted upon a cylindrical portion 39 ofsaid projecting column of the member 16. This extension of the member 16serves to insulate the actuating devices and connections from the shaft13, when it is utilized for one of the current carryin elements. Acoiled spring 24 is shown Xed to thepulley 23 and to the supportingstructure, to return the pulley after actuation. A suitable one-wayclutch is shown connecting the pulley 23 and the member 16. One member25 thereof is shown provided with teeth 26 beveled in one direction, theother member 27 having correspondingly beveled teeth or recesses. The

member 27 is constructed fixed for rotationwith respect to the detent 21and the member 16, but being movable along the shaft 13 longitudinally.As a suitable way of efiecting this, it may be mounted upon a squaredextension of the member 16, with the detent 21, and is yieldingly heldto the part 25 by springs 28. It will be understood, therefore, thatwhen the pulley rotates in one di rection it will carry the member 16with it for. a quarter turn, but owing to the shape of the teeth 26 andthe corresponding teeth or recesses in the member 27, the pulley willreturn alone, the springs 28 yielding to per-' mit the teeth 26 to passin the opposite direction. I I

The support for the operating parts is shown herein of one piece andconsisting of suitable insulatin material. The supporting structure is sown comprising opposed heads 30 and 31 and a connecting wall 32, whichmay,ifdesired, be cylindrical. The side wall is cut away, as shown inFigs. 5 and 7, to permit of the assembling of the parts. The shaft 13 isshown fixed in position by having a threaded end onto WlllCh a lock nut33 is threaded.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings shell 34 is shown with the cord or pull 24extending therefrom. In Fig. 6 a lamp 35 is shown in place with itsterminals 36 and the inclosing 37 respectively, in operative relation toone pair of the lamp. contacts.

From the foregoing it will be understood that a mechanism has beenprovided which realizes the objects of invention and the advantagesherein set forth, together wlth other objects and advantages.

The manner of operation of the device will be clearly understood fromthe foregoing description. 7

The invention, in its broader aspects, is

not limited to the particular constructions shown, nor to any particularconstructions by which it has been or may be carried into I 'eifect, asmany changes may be made in the construction without departing from themain principles of theinvention and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is:

'1. A lamp socket including in combination a unitary socket structurecomprising two opposed heads and the connecting portion of'insulatingmaterial, a line contact and a correspondin load contact in one branchof the circuit with a gap therebetween, a line contact and acorresponding load contact in the other branch of the circomprising amovable member adapted to.

engage the commutator and a reciprocable member extending out throughthe casing.

2. A lamp socket including in combination aunitary socket structurecomprising two opposed heads, and the connecting portion of insulatingmaterial, a line contact a and a corresponding load contact in onebranch of the circuit with a gap therebetween, a line contact and acorresponding load contact in the other branch-of the circuit with a gaptherebetween, all said contacts being supported upon said unitary socketstructure, a commutator having a shaft arranged longitudinally of saidsocket and mounted in each of said socket heads, said commutatorcarrying a plurality of conducting pieces for alternately closing andopening the gap between eachline contactiand its a load contact onalternate actuations' of the -controller,;-and means for givingapartial-rotation to saidcommutator,

said .means comprising :a movable ;me1nber adapteddo engage thecommutator and a reciprocable mem er extending zout through the casing.

3. A lamp socket including :incombination a unitary socketstrnctnre'comprising two opposed heads and the connecting portion ofinsulating material, a -line contact and .a corresponding load ,contactin one branch of the circuit with a gap therebetween, a line contact anda corresponding load contact in the other branch of the circuit with agap therebetween, one contact of each line and corresponding loadcontact being mounted upon the connecting portion of the socketstructure and the other of said contacts being mounted upon a sockethead, and a commutator rotatably mounted in said unitarysocket'structure, said commutator'carrying a plurality of conductingpieces for alternately closing and opening the gap between each linecontact and its load contact on alternate actuations of the controller.

4.-A lamp socket including in combination two opposed socket heads, aline contact and a corresponding load cont-act in one branch of thecircuit, with a gap therebetween, a line contact and a correspondingload contact in the other branch of the circuit, with a gaptherebetweem'a cylindrical commutator mounted between said socket heads,and having a plurality of conducting strips each carried upon both thecylindrical surface and upon a head of the commutator, one contact ineach branch of the circuit engaging the conducting strips on thcylindrical surface and the corresponding contact in each branchengaging said conducting strips on the head of the commutator, saidconducting. strips serving to alternately open and close said" gaps onsuccessiveactuations of said commutator.

5. A lamp socket including in combination a unitary socket structurecomprising two opposed heads and a connecting side wall of cylindricalform, a cylindrical c ommu-. tator of insulating material havinga shaft,

rotatably mounted in saidsocket heads, and a line contact and acorresponding lo'ad'contact in one branch of the circuit with a gaptherebetween, one of said contacts being mounted on a socket head andthe other on said cylindrical side wall, a line contact and acorresponding load cozitact in the other branch of said circuit with agap therebetween, one of said contacts being mounted on a socket headand the'other on said cylindrical side wall, and a plurality ofconducting pieces carried on said commutator l to gaps on suc--alternately open and close said cessive actuations of the commutator.

amazon 16. Adampsocket-inclnding in'rcoanbinatian two opposed socketheads, a cylindrical :commutator of insulating material aandihaving ashaft mounted in said heads, .a conducting pie ce mounted upon; thecylindrical side i and also upon a head, 'of said commutator,

a contact-cooperating with said conducting I .1 piece on athecylindrical side -of xthe comconducting (piece: upon 1 the head ofthe-commutator, the conducting piece serving to alternately; open andclose the gap between .the-contacts on alternate actuations of thecontroller.

7. A lamp socket including in combination so two opposed socket heads, ascrew shell and a central contact for a lamp mounted upon one of saidsocket heads, a commutator hELV-r' ing its axis arranged longitudinallybetween said socket heads, a pair of conducting pieces i arrangedperpendicularly to sald axis, andv a pair of contacts connected,respectively to 'said screw shell and to said central contact mutatorandna: contact cooperatin'gvwith said 7 p and mounted upon said sockethead to cooperate with said conducting pieces, and a pair ofcorresponding contacts connected to ing with said conducting pieces.

8. A lamp socket including in combination 3 two opposed socket heads, acylindrical c6111 mutator having a shaft mounted in said heads, a screwshell and a. central lamp contact mounted upon one of said socket heads,two contact pieces on the opposite side of said socket head, oneconnected-to said screw each branch of the line, and also .cooperatshelland the other to said central contact,.

and two conducting pieces carried both upo the head and the cylindricalside of said commutator, the portions of said conducts."

ing pieces carried 11 on they heads of the 1 5 commutator cooperatingwith the hereinbefore mentioned contact pieces, and contact piecesconnected, respectively, to the two branches of the line andcotiperating with said conducting pieces on the cylindrical o sides ofthe commutator.

9. Alampsocket including in combination two opposed heads of insulatingmaterial, ,a shaft arranged between said heads and jd'ongitudinally ofthe socket, a controller 5 carried by said shaft, two conducting stripsupon said controller, two contact pieces mounted on one of said heads,each contact being connected to one branch of the line,

two contact pieces'mounted on the other of said heads, each contactbeing connected to one terminal of the load, and means for actuatingsaid controller to cause the contact pieces to alternately make andbreak connection between each line contact between,-and integral with,said heads, a 0

piece and its corresponding load contact piece.

' shaft arranged between said heads and lonto alternately make and breakconnection gitudinall of the socket, a controller carried between eachline contact piece and its cor y said 5 aft, two conducting strips uponresponding load contact piece. said controller, two contact piecesmounted In testimony whereof, I have signed my 5 on one of said heads,each contact being name to this specification, in the presence of 1'connected to one branch of the line, two two subscribing witnesses.

contact pieces mounted on the other of said CLIFFORD D. MEEKER. heads,each contact being connected to one Witnesses:

terminal of the load, and means for actuat- JOHN I). MORGAN, .10 ingsaid controller to cause the contact pieces J OHN DARBY.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0.

